Rainy Days and Passion
by Xenos Windshadow
Summary: Christian Grey interviews a new business partner and things get steamy between them.
1. Dark Beginnings

It was a rainy Monday morning and Christian Grey sat in his office behind his huge desk, staring absentmindedly out the rain-streaked windows. He had a meeting with another businessman at 10am. The clock read 9:55. It was nearly time. Grey sighed, running a hand through his messy, luscious locks. Christian Grey was, without a doubt, the most handsome man in the world. His beautiful, copper-colored hair and enigmatic grey eyes was enough to make anyone swoon. Add in the fact that he was the CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. and was skilled in nearly every other endeavor, it was no wonder women went weak at the knees whenever he was around. He was powerful, successful, sexy, and mysterious.

The clock chimed 10 and just then there was a knock at his door.

"Come in!" Grey called, sitting up straight in his chair and tidying some papers on his expensive, beautiful desk.

The door opened and a young man entered. The man was unbelievably sexy. He had dark, unruly black hair, bright, gorgeous blue eyes, high cheekbones, and a well-built physique. He was tall, probably over six feet, and wore an expensive suit.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Grey." The black-haired man said, extending his arm.

"And you are Wayne, I presume?" Grey asked, shaking the handsome man's hand. He had a strong grip.

"That's correct." Wayne answered, smiling. His teeth were perfectly straight and white.

"Please, sit down. Let's get this meeting started." Grey said, indicating a comfortable, exquisite chair in front of his wide desk. Wayne settled onto the cushioned chair, clasping his hands together in his lap.

"I'm very pleased to inform you that I've come to a decision…" Grey said, "I've decided to accept your company's business offer."

Wayne's bright blue eyes seemed to light up in happiness. Grey held his gaze, eyes roving over the man's handsome face.

"That's great news!" Wayne said.

"It is, isn't it?" Grey said, intensifying his piercing gaze. His eyes seemed to stare into Wayne's very soul. Wayne started to look a bit uncomfortable under Grey's attention and shifted in his seat.

"You're very young to be in such a position of power…how did you build your empire, Wayne?" Grey asked curiously.

"This company has been in my family for generations. When my parents passed away, I inherited it." Wayne said. He suddenly looked a bit melancholy. He lowered his gaze and Grey couldn't help but notice how thick and long Wayne's eyelashes were. They looked so amazing against his high cheekbones and ivory skin.

"Very interesting. You seem to have a good work ethic despite you being one of the silver spoon types." Grey said. He quickly added, "I'm not trying to sound rude or anything. There have been many successful businessmen that inherit their money. Not everyone goes from rags to riches. Tell me a bit more about yourself…we've only been exchanging business matters through email for the past month. Let's get casual."

Wayne suddenly looked a bit shy. "Well, I don't know…I like going yachting, drinking, hanging out with women, shopping for new suits, and that kind of thing."

Grey tried to keep himself from rolling his eyes. So, Wayne was one of _those _types. Brainless, spoiled rich boy. Grey couldn't hold back his disgust. "So, I'm guessing your IQ is lower than room temperature."

Wayne looked taken aback. "Go to hell, Grey!"

Grey's eyes sparked with fury. "What did you say to me, you insolent brat? You need some punishing. Follow me."

Grey pushed a button on his desk and a secret door opened on the left side of the room. The two men strolled through the door and descended a dark, winding staircase to a dungeon-like room full of chains, whips, and other equipment.

Grey pressed his lips against Wayne's, kissing him furiously. Wayne kissed back, wrapping his arms around Grey's strong shoulders and deepening the kiss, thrusting his tongue inside Grey's mouth. Within minutes, the two men stripped naked and Grey grabbed a paddle, spanking Wayne hard. Wayne yelled out in pleasure. Grey spanked him, whipped him, then chained him to a large bed in the corner.

"Do you want this, Wayne?" asked Grey, his bright grey eyes burning into Wayne's blue ones.

"Yesss." Wayne moaned, arching up into Grey's touch. Grey gently entered him and they made love furiously, exchanging bruising kisses and pulling eachother's hair. They both came together and Grey collapsed on top of Wayne, exhausted.

"Mmm, you're a good lay, Wayne. I have decided to change our business deal to a strictly sexual one. Will you be okay with that?"

"Of course." Wayne said. His blue eyes were filled with tears of happiness and pleasure. Grey gently stroked his cheek and kissed him.

"Ready for round two?" Grey asked.

"Yes, Grey, take me hard." Wayne said, wrapping his legs around Grey again.

They made love again and went to sleep.


	2. Sensuous Silken Dreams

After leaving the Italian restaurant and getting Wayne a haircut, Grey drove him to a high-end mall at the other side of the city. The two businessmen were silent for the whole drive and Wayne only spoke up when they arrived at the shopping center.

"Where are we going now?" he asked timidly, rubbing his newly trimmed hair. Grey had told the barber to give Wayne a nice, stylish haircut...short on the sides and long on the top. Grey could tell Wayne didn't like it.

"To the lingerie store. You need some more suitable playroom clothes." Grey answered, touching Wayne's leg seductively. Wayne blushed.

They parked and strolled through the mall. Grey ignored the excited stares and whispers het got from women and teenage girls as he passed. Wayne was walking much to slow for his taste, so he grabbed him by the arm and yanked him along until they reached the lingerie shop. Grey immediately lead Wayne to a section of silk panties and chose out a few cream-colored ones, then he pulled a lovely, see-through black lace robe from a nearby rack.

"These will do. Let's go to the changing room." Grey said, pulling Wayne to the back of the store where the changing stalls were. One of the shop workers at the checkout desk looked at them excitedly as they passed.

"You-you're Christian Grey, aren't you?" She said excited. Grey flashed her a mechanical smile as he escorted Wayne into the changing room, shutting the door behind them. He sat on the wooden bench and folded his arms across his chest, watching Wayne stand in front of him awkwardly.

"Strip." Grey said.

Wayne nervously took off his clothes and blushed as Grey stared at his impressive package and smiled sexily. Wayne tried on all the lingerie and modeled each one for Grey, who nodded in approval, eyes hungrily roving over Wayne's muscular body. He was the peak of male perfection...beautiful, strong figure and a gentle, fine-boned face with those breathtaking blue eyes. They were like bright pools of liquid sapphire. Grey couldn't get enough of him. He thought about him day and night. Tearing himself from his reverie, Grey stood up and approached Wayne, gently rubbing his hands across his chest and tracing his lips with his finger. He roughly pressed his lips against Wayne's and shoved his tongue into his mouth, tasting him. Wayne kissed back and wrapped his arms around Grey's strong shoulders.

Grey shoved him up against the wall and began attacking his neck with bites and kisses, making Wayne moan. He lowered his hand and grabbed Wayne's member, stroking him hard, relishing in the man gasping and squirming against him.

"We're in a store." Wayne whispered, trying to hold back his sounds of pleasure.

"So?" Grey said. He let go of Wayne and grabbed the man's discarded underwear from the floor and gagged him with it. "Don't make a sound."

Grey proceeded to shove three fingers inside Wayne, opening him up. Wayne inhaled sharply. His muscles tightened around Grey's fingers and he made a pained sound. "Shh." Grey said. "You don't want to get caught, do you? Imagine the press."

Grey removed his fingers and pulled down his pants, stroking himself as he watched Wayne sweat in anticipation. He then shoved him hard against the wall again and Wayne wrapped a leg around Grey's waste as Grey shoved inside his body in one thrust. Grey clapped a hand over Wayne's mouth. Despite the gag, he couldn't risk the other man making too much noise. Wayne choked on a scream as Grey began to roughly slide in and out of his tight entrance.

"Ooh, Wayne. Still so tight. We need to loosen you up in the playroom more often." Grey hissed, shifting his angle and hitting Wayne's sweet spot. Tears of pleasure fell from Wayne's baby blue eyes. He was doing an impressive job of remaining nearly silent. He stroked Wayne furiously, bringing him to completion. As Wayne's muscles tightened around his member, he came undone, biting down on Wayne's shoulder as he spilled his essence into his warmth. They collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard. Grey gently stroked Wayne's flushed cheek, smiling.


	3. Giving Hearts and Cold Hearts

Grey was nothing short of pleased with his new submissive. Wayne was still painfully shy and embarrassed, but that made the experience even better. In his haste, Grey almost forgot the paperwork and formalities, so after the first few days of their "business partnership" he sat down with Wayne and explained the contract. At first, the other man was hesitant, but Grey knew the perfect way to get around that.

"If you sign, you'll be given private quarters in my penthouse and a new car," he explained.

"But, my life back home…. I can't be away for this long."

"You'll be able to visit home when I see fit," Grey said. "For now, your duties are needed here, especially if we're going through with the new business deals."

Wayne signed the paper without another word and Grey smiled in triumph. Shortly after, Wayne moved into his penthouse. Grey supplied him with an ample amount of fine suits, shoes, casual clothes, hats, ties, cologne, and watches, but Wayne refused to choose a car, saying it was "over the top." Grey bought him one anyway and smirked at Wayne's stunned expression when he showed him a brand new, black Maserati.

Yes, life was good. Grey made love to Wayne painfully and violently every night in his penthouse playroom and nearly every afternoon in his secret office dungeon. Wayne dreaded it, but Grey didn't care. The other man's pleasure wasn't important.

Their routine was interrupted for the first time by a charity event on a Saturday afternoon. Grey's company had launched a new program to help disenfranchised children and teenagers in Seattle. The first major fundraiser was being held at a large comic book/toy shop downtown and Grey was asked to be the guest of honor.

On Saturday, he strolled into Wayne's bedroom about an hour before the event, dressed in his best tuxedo. Wayne was sprawled on the giant bed, staring up at the celling. The bedroom was rather dull: black bedframe and furniture, gray sheets and pillows, and light gray walls. The hazy light that came through the wide, rain-streaked window made it even drearier. Wayne sat up as Grey entered, looking nervous.

"We have a fundraiser to attend. Get dressed. I want you in a gray dress shirt, tie, black slacks, and black dress shoes. You are permitted to choose the tie color. When we arrive, I want you to sit in the front row."

"Shouldn't I dress up? A suit or something?"

"No. This is my company's event. I will dress the nicest." Grey replied, sitting on the edge of Wayne's bed and waiting expectantly.

"Are you-um-can you leave?" Wayne mumbled, picking at his fingernails.

"No. I want to watch you get dressed." Grey said, smiling. "Now, strip!"

The two businessmen walked into the store right on time. The building was exquisite and spacious. Giant shelves of comic books and toys towered around them. Wayne slowed down for a minute, looking around at all the colorful cover art. Grey pulled on his arm and quickened his stride. They marched through the store and followed the signs to the event hall where a large crowd sat in their seats, talking excitedly. The head of the charity event, a woman named Christine Smith, stood near the podium at the front of the room. When she saw Grey enter, she smiled widely and stepped up to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings, Inc!"

The audience erupted into applause as Grey waved and made his way up the aisle to the podium. Wayne followed him, looking awkward. He quickly took a seat on the front row and Grey nodded at him in approval before beginning his remarks.

"Thank you for being here today. At Grey Enterprise Holdings, Inc., we take pride in giving back to the community. What an apt place to be today…take a look around you at all these comics. Stories of superheroes trying to help their communities. This charity organization is like a superhero, working tirelessly to better Seattle." The audience clapped and cheered.

"I've been through a lot in my life. But, with society's help, I was able to pull myself up by the bootstraps and build my company. No one handed my wealth to me." Grey looked pointedly at Wayne. "But, I know what it feels like to be forgotten by society and I want the kids in Seattle to have a better future. As Mahatma Ghandi once said, 'You must be the change you wish to see in the world.' Thank you, my friends, for being that change!"

The crowd gave Grey a standing ovation. Wayne stood, clapping along with them, but kept his eyes downcast. Later, during the brunch and mingle, Grey pulled him aside.

"Why so glum?" He asked, his eyes cold and unreadable.

"You think I'm selfish." Wayne said softly, tears threatening to fall from his blue eyes. Grey folded his arms across his chest, his face still impassive.

"I don't 'think' anything. I know. But, we'll change that over the course of our partnership. Like I said, this is a hard lesson."

"But, I'm not selfish…I mean, at least I try not to be." Wayne protested, his eyes filling with tears. He blinked them away, trying to be strong.

"Well, trying isn't good enough. Now, if you're done, let's go get some food to eat…." Grey turned to walk away, but Wayne didn't follow.

"Maybe you're the selfish one, Grey!" Wayne blurted out before he could stop himself. Grey turned around slowly, his eyes blazing. He stepped close to Wayne.

"You don't know anything about me, you bastard! My childhood was a living hell!" Grey said angrily. "You probably couldn't even handle one tenth of what I had to go through. You were a spoiled rich boy mooching off your parents' wealth."

Wayne quickly tried to backtrack. "You're right. I don't know what you've been through, but if you'd tell me-"

"HA!" Grey said. "Not a chance. Now, go find a table and wait for me. Don't talk to anyone and don't get any food. Your punishment will be severe tonight." He turned and stormed away, leaving Wayne staring blankly at the floor.


	4. Whips and Envy

*WHACK!*

Wayne screamed in pain as Grey hit him on the buttocks with the flogger, squirming desperately. He was chained to the bed in the penthouse playroom and Grey was doubling down on the punishment after the fundraiser. Clamps, chains, whips, paddle…. Grey didn't hold back. Wayne's buttocks were bright red and he was crying uncontrollably. After about an hour of torture, Grey stopped and unchained him. Wayne curled up into a ball, his body heaving with sobs.

"Look at me." Grey said flatly.

Wayne forced himself to sit up and face the other man. Grey looked at Wayne's puffy eyes and tear-stained face in satisfaction. "Never disrespect me like that in public again, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Wayne said, his voice shaking.

"Good. Now, get dressed and let's discuss business matters over some tea, shall we?"

Wayne met him in the kitchen and sat on the barstool, wincing in pain. He sipped his tea in silence, refusing to meet Grey's eyes. Grey pulled out a thick file of papers and was about to show them to Wayne when the intercom beeped.

"Mr. Grey, you have visitors."

"Who is it and what do they want?" Grey snapped.

"They're friends of Wayne, your roommate, sir"

Grey glared at Wayne who in turn shrank down into his seat, looking absolutely terrified. Grey ran a hand through his copper hair and sighed. "Fine. Send them up," he said.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Grey answered it after sending another death glare at Wayne. A tall, muscular blond haired, blue-eyed man and a beautiful, dark haired woman stepped into the entranceway. Wayne's face lit up upon seeing them. He got up and hobbled over, smiling through the pain.

"How are you?" Wayne said, hugging them both. Grey stepped aside and watched the scene with a cold interest.

"We're great, how about you? Heard you moved," the blond man said, glancing at Grey. "Who's this?"

"I'm wondering the same thing about you, actually." Grey said, glaring at the visitors. "What do you want and how did you find my address?"

"Wayne told me about some new living situations and wanted to see us," the woman said. She looked utterly confused. "Er…. I'm Di, by the way. This is my friend Arthur. What's your name?"

"Christian Grey. And when were you going to tell me about this invitation, Wayne?" Grey's voice was deadly.

"I'm sorry…I nearly forgot. I meant to tell you…I just wanted to talk to my friends. We were thinking about going out to dinner or something…I needed to check up on some things." Wayne was sweating, eyes darting from Grey to his friends.

"Your personal excursions are not part of our agreement, Wayne. Now, please escort your associates out of my house."

"Wait…this isn't your new house?" Di asked, looking even more baffled. Wayne blanched. "What's going on? You moved in with someone?"

"He's a new business partner, we just-" Wayne tried.

"Something really weird is going on, " Arthur said, throwing up his hands. "C'mon, let's just get the hell out of here and talk about this somewhere else."

Wayne stepped toward Arthur, but Grey grabbed him by the shirt collar. "You're not going anywhere. Now, I want the two of you out of my house or I'm calling security."

"Let go of him!" Di said, raising her voice. "Who do you think you are?" She stepped close to Grey, eyes ablaze. For the first time in many years, Grey was legitimately nervous. The woman was at least six feet tall and very sturdily built. Combined with the sheer strength that both she and her blond companion seemed to possess, there was no way Grey could win if things got physical, so he released Wayne.

"So be it. Be back here in one hour, Wayne." He said coldly. Wayne could barely put his shoes on without his hands shaking. He hurried out the door with his comrades, casting one last fearful glance at Grey before shutting the door.

Although Grey wasn't going to resort to physical force, he still wasn't going to let the incident go. He immediately put on a coat, hat, and grabbed an umbrella and followed Wayne and his friends out of the high-rise, trailing far enough behind them that they didn't notice they were being followed. Di had put her arm around Wayne and the trio walked in silence. Grey was surprised when they turned a corner and walked up the steps to the public library instead of continuing to a café. He waited until they walked inside before darting up the stairs, keeping the brim of his hat pulled down and the umbrella obscuring his face.

He stalked them, weaving between the shelves, all the way to the back of the building where they settled into some comfortable longue chairs near a window. Grey stood off in one of the aisles and pretended to read a book while focusing on their conversation. To his annoyance, they were talking as low as possible. Why did they have to chose a damn library of all places!? He strained to catch bits and pieces of the discussion.

"…worried about you." Arthur was whispering. "…..they said you left….making sure you're okay."

"….I'm okay." Wayne muttered.

Di patted Wayne on the arm. "…worried…..….abusive….." Grey couldn't catch the rest of her words; she had leaned in close to Wayne and was speaking in a whisper. Arthur leaned in closer and said something to Wayne. Grey clenched his jaw in frustration. It was time to visit the hardware store and buy some recording devices and GPS trackers. Wayne's secretive meetings were unacceptable. He left the library, fury and jealousy building up inside his chest.

An hour later, Wayne came back to the penthouse, shoulders slumped and eyes filled with gloominess. Grey looked up from his papers and stared at him frostily, arms folded, lips pursed into a line.

"Such bad manners, Wayne. Inviting strangers up to my house. It looks like you're going to get punished twice in one day. What is wrong with you? How can you be so empty-headed?"

Wayne looked at him, tears spilling out of his baby blue eyes. "Please, no. I'm-I'm under a lot of pressure, I just needed to talk to someone."

Grey studied him carefully. The man was pale, shaky, and looked like he was in a lot of pain from his earlier playroom visit.

"Fine. Take a shower, and then go to your room. I don't want to see your face for the rest of the day."


	5. Flames and Peril

Grey was dreaming again...well, 'dreaming' would be too sweet of a word to use. More like having nightmares and desperately trying to wake up. As usual, his nightmares centered around being a submissive to a frighteningly strong dominant. Just as things were taking a turn for the worst, he heard music flow into the dreamscape...a faint, melancholy song that could bring people to tears. He stirred and finally opened his eyes, surprised when the music didn't fade with his awakening. Puzzled, Grey climbed out of bed and went to the living room to find Wayne sitting at the grand piano, fingers dancing over the keys as he played an arrangement of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." Not a piece of sheet music was in sight. Wayne stared out the window as he played, not even bothering to look down at his hands. Grey sank into an armchair and watched Wayne's performance, genuinely moved and fascinated by his talent. After a few minutes, the song came to a close and Grey slow-clapped, startling Wayne who swung around, hastily wiping at his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry...I..." Wayne stuttered.

"It's alright." Grey replied. "You're pretty talented."

"Thanks." Wayne said, a hint of relief in his voice.

There was a long stretch of awkward silence between them. "I apologize for being hard on you yesterday." Grey said. "You-er-still seem troubled today. I hope you're not in too much pain."

Wayne looked surprised at Grey's words. He sighed and ran his fingers through his black hair. "I didn't tell you this, but I guess it's about time I did. My son died a week before I came to Seattle. It's been hard..." he trailed off, trying to hold back tears. Grey was taken aback. He hardly knew anything about Wayne's personal life. Was Wayne married? How many kids did he have? How did his son die? The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he got. He wasn't one for emotional conversations.

"Bad things happen. We just need to soldier on." Grey hoped it didn't come out too cold. "Anyway, I have a small business meeting at 10 o' clock this morning. I'm meeting with the heads of some other tech companies, so you should come along."

"Okay...but, can you give me more notice about our schedule in the future? I feel like this is a very one-sided business partnership." Wayne said.

"It's supposed to be." Grey said. "Now, let's have breakfast and get ready to go. We're taking Charlie Tango today."

"Charlie Tango?"

"You'll see."

Wayne had no idea that Grey owned a private helicopter. It was a pleasant surprise. Even more surprising was Grey's piloting skills. Wayne had flown a lot of aircrafts in his lifetime, but Charlie Tango was truly a wonder to behold. They flew over the city and landed on a large skyscraper in the downtown area. The two businessmen were escorted off the roof and down to the conference room. After flying, Wayne's mood was elevated. He hadn't felt so carefree in a long time. Perhaps his partnership could work out in the end.

There were around ten people sitting at a long, oak table in the conference room, talking quietly amongst themselves. A heavy-set man presided at the head of the table. He stood up and grinned widely when Grey and Wayne walked in.

"Welcome, Mr. Grey! Who's your friend here?"

"This is Wayne." Grey said, "Wayne, this is Mike Parry of Parry Industries. They're a microchip manufacturer based in Olympia."

Wayne shook Parry's hand and took a seat by Grey at the right of Parry's chair. At five minutes to ten, a tall, well-built, bald man with green eyes and high cheekbones walked in. Grey could've sworn he saw Wayne stiffen next to him. The man sat directly across from Wayne, a smug look on his face.

"Hello. Fancy seeing you here. Quite a trek from the Eastern Seaboard for this humble meeting, eh? How long are you staying?" The man asked, straightening his tie.

Wayne clenched his jaw and stared at the man with obvious distaste. "Few days."

The man smirked, his eyes briefly darting to Grey. "I see."

"Who's your friend here?" Grey asked Wayne, keeping his eyes locked on the newcomer's face.

"Call me Alexander." The man cut in.

Just then, Parry stood up. "Alright, folks. Let's get this party started..."

Suddenly the door opened and a disheveled man with long, sandy blond hair and a goatee hurried into the room. He was dressed in a dark green suit, a sloppily tied, mismatched tie and an untucked dress shirt, which he quickly tucked in before taking a seat at the other end of the table.

"Sorry guys. Slept through my alarm." He said. A few people chucked.

During the meeting, Grey found Wayne's behavior downright weird and even humorous. He kept glancing at Alexander and looking around the room, completely distracted. Grey didn't miss how Wayne's gaze frequently rested on the long-haired man. A former co-worker? An ex-lover? During break, Alexander got up and left and Wayne looked more at ease. He moved down to the end of the table and struck up a conversation with the long-haired man. They were talking too low for Grey to hear, but Wayne looked a big agitated. After a few minutes, the man patted Wayne on the back and Wayne returned to his seat.

"And who's that?" Grey asked.

"No one."

"We're in a business partnership. You can't go around having secret meetings with other competitors and not tell me." Grey said dangerously.

"You were the one invited to this meeting. I assumed you knew these people."

"I've never seen most of these people in my life. You two seem close, though." Grey said, trying to keep his voice level.

"Are you seriously getting jealous? Is that it?" Wayne said in frustration.

"Don't use that tone with me. Tell me who he is or-"

"Oh, shut up. I'm not dealing with this right now." Wayne growled.

"Congrats, Wayne. Consider any progress in our partnership from earlier this morning null and void. And I think two hours in the playroom today will knock some sense into you."

Wayne threw up his hands in frustration, but wasn't in the mood to argue. The bald man had returned and taken his seat across from Wayne again, lips curled up into a small smile.

After the meeting, Grey and Wayne boarded Charlie Tango in silence. They lifted off the landing pad just as Wayne's disheveled friend ran onto the roof, his long hair blowing in the wind. He was yelling up at the helicopter, waving his arms frantically. Grey looked down at him in amusement. "Interesting company you keep."

"Something's wrong." Wayne muttered, stroking his chin.

Grey laughed and steered away from the building.

"Grey...land the helicopter!" Wayne yelled.

"Are you crazy? Sit back and shut your face. I'm beginning to think there's something legitimately off with you. You're my first submissive to be a total basket case."

"CHRISTIAN! PUT IT DOWN NOW!" Wayne screamed.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and Charlie Tango was spinning out of control. Grey desperately tried to pull up, but it was no use. They were losing altitude and plummeting toward the street below. Grey hit his head against the window and went unconscious. Wayne yelled in terror, taking hold of the controls, but it was no use. He squeezed his eyes shut. He was going to die...he was going to die...he was...the helicopter spun sharply and he smashed against the interior. Blinding pain shot through his head, then everything went black.

When Wayne came to, he was sprawled on the pavement next to a still unconscious Grey. Charlie Tango was a smoldering heap several yards away. Cars were smashed, people were screaming. Sirens blared in the distance. 'How the hell did we get out of the copter?' Wayne thought, slowly sitting up. Blood poured down his face, but he didn't care. He crawled over to Grey and checked his pulse. He was alive.

A dark-haired kid wearing a red shirt ran out into the street when he saw Wayne wake up. "Are you okay, dude?" He asked.

Wayne was in a daze. "Yes, but I have no idea how."

The boy clapped Wayne on the shoulder before running back to the sidewalk where Wayne's friend stood with hand over his heart in relief. They both flashed Wayne a thumbs up. Wayne stared at them for a moment before lying back down and closing his eyes. The emergency personnel had arrived.


	6. The Ambush

News of the helicopter crash spread through Seattle and the rest of the country like wildfire. Before long, it was an international sensation: two famous billionaires had been hospitalized after a mysterious crash! How did they survive? How were their bodies ejected from the craft and found nearby with minor injuries? (Well...minor compared to being burnt to a crisp). The police and FBI were still investigating the incident, agreeing that it was suspicious. "Terrorist attack" was thrown around quite a few times. Witnesses claimed to have seen some sort of lightning around Charlie Tango before it hit the ground. Indeed, things were uncanny. And Grey didn't like it one bit.

The two men were released from the hospital the next day. Grey's security team ushered them out the front doors and through a crowd of paparazzi to get to the limo. They made it back to the penthouse without incident, but things weren't the same. A police officer was stationed out in the hallway to guard Grey's home. An in-house nurse came to check on them twice a day despite Grey insisting that they were fine. Grey's phone was blowing up with calls, texts, and emails. He was about to go insane.

"This is ridiculous!" He yelled, tearing off the bandages around his head and stomping into Wayne's room. Wayne quickly slid his phone under his pillow just as Grey walked in and slammed the door shut behind him. "You need to tell me what's going on. What was your friend warning us about? Talk, Wayne! You KNEW this would happen somehow! This is your fault."

"My fault? You-"

Just then, the door opened and the long-haired man walked in followed by a beautiful blond woman. Grey backed against the wall, his heart pounding wildly. He pointed a shaking finger at the strangers. "You! How did you get in here? There's a police officer right outside this door. I'll have you both arrested."

""You guys are in danger. You need to get out of town now," the woman said.

"What's happening?" Wayne asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

"Alexander was trying to kill you. He's the one that messed with the copter. We got word that he's sending a hit team to finish the job," the man replied.

"Wh-what?" Grey said, his voice filled with terror.

Wayne sighed. "Grey, I never told you this, but it's time for you to know. I live a double life...I'm a secret agent for the U.S. government and I regularly carry out covert ops for them, usually of the spy variety. Alexander is a dangerous Russian spy and mob leader. He's been living as an American businessman and philanthropist, but don't be fooled."

Grey took one look at him and burst out laughing. He sank to the floor. "Oh, that's funny."

The long-haired man let out an exasperated sound. "C'mon, Dinah. We need to change into our work gear," he said to the woman. "You gentlemen need to pack your things." The couple hurried out of the room and Wayne opened the closet, pulled out a suitcase, and started packing.

Grey stood up and folded his arms. "Stop playing games with me. You need to tell me the truth NOW or I'm having all three of you arrested."

"Grey, listen...I'm not lying to you. Remember how I told you my son died? Well...it was because of my work. My enemies."

The door opened and the man and woman returned, dressed in black combat uniforms, hoods, and ski masks. They both had swords strapped to their backs.

"What the hell?" Grey said.

Dinah shoved a suitcase into Grey's arms. "I packed your things. Now, come on."

As they made their way out into the hall, the front door flew off its hinges and a large, burly man carrying an ax stepped through the entranceway. He threw it at them with terrifying force, but the long-haired man caught it in midair and threw it back, lodging the ax in the man's stomach. Blood spurted everywhere.

"Ollie, you're not supposed to kill them," Wayne said.

"He'll live. I didn't hit any major organs."

The group crept out into the hallway and scanned their surroundings. "Where's the officer?" Grey asked.

"We didn't see anyone on the way in," Dinah said. "But, that's not surprising...Alexander must've had the officer stationed here as an informant."

They made their way downstairs and out of the apartment without another incident, but things changed once they got to the parking garage. A gang of black-clad people jumped out of a car and ran at them, wielding swords, knives, and crossbows. Ollie raced at them, did a double-flip and knocked out the man with the crossbow, grabbing the weapon and shooting two other attackers. Dinah easily disarmed the others with her sword. Soon, unconscious bodies littered the ground.

"Amateurs." Dinah said.

They were about to clamber into Grey's car, but Ollie stopped them. "Wait...I need Wayne at the wheel and my butt in the passenger seat. You and Dinah sit in the back. Dinah, you're on rear guard duty."

"But-" Grey protested.

"If you want to live, don't argue." Dinah said.

Grey reluctantly gave the keys to Wayne and they got in. Wayne started the engine and awaited Ollie's instructions.

"We need to get both of you to a safe house," Ollie said. "Maybe we should hunker down in the mountains...find a secluded campsite or something."

"No," Dinah said. "We don't have food, tents, kerosene, sleeping bags, lanterns...what, are you crazy? Mr. Penthouse back here wouldn't last an hour in nature. We should just take them to...er...Agent C.K.'s place."

There was a pause. "Alright." Ollie finally said. "It's going to be a long drive, but we'll rotate."

They drove out onto the street and Ollie kept nervously looking out the windows. "I don't like this...there's no way Alexander would've sent such inefficient goons." He muttered.

"Well, to be fair, he didn't know you and Dinah were going to be over. And I still don't think Alexander knows I'm a spy. This attack was related to me being a competitor businessman."

Ollie stared at him and shook his head. "You're being too optimistic, Wayne."

They drove out of Seattle in peace, but Ollie still wasn't convinced. He kept looking out the back window to make sure they weren't being trailed. They drove down the highway in silence. Grey's mind was racing and he was starting to get annoyed by the complete lack of hysteria by his companions. Wayne sensed something was wrong with Grey.

"Christian, I'm sorry you were dragged into this. I had no idea I would be targeted in Seattle. International espionage is a dangerous career. The less you know, the better."

Dinah coughed. Grey thought it sounded like she was trying to cover up a laugh, but she quickly laid a comforting hand on Grey's shoulder. Ollie turned on the radio to a rock station and cranked up the music, kicking his feet up on the dashboard.

"Well, folks. It's going to be a long night."


End file.
